The Returned and Services Association says a memorial for a forgotten ship to be unveiled at the weekend is long overdue.
The RSA, the Navy and relatives of former servicemen are dedicating a plinth to HMS Puriri at Whangarei's Ocean Beach at 10.30am on Saturday.
The minesweeper was sunk by a German mine off Bream Head on 14 May 1941, with the loss of five lives.
Waipu RSA vice president David Wistrand, who lobbied for the Puriri memorial, says it is high time the sacrifice was publicly honoured.
He says it is also a tribute to the minesweeping service, which played a key role in protecting New Zealand during both world wars.
Mr Wistrand says relatives of the Puriri's crew, some from as far away as the United Kingdom, will attend the dedication, along with a 92-year-old surviving crew member.
